87 The Shattered Sky [Bonus]
A moment of respite hung in the air, tenuous but palpable, as if the very universe held its breath.
"Huh?" Tia blinked in astonishment, her heart pounding in her chest.
Then, the heavens erupted in a breathtaking display of fireworks. Explosions, like constellations gone mad, filled the sky of the upper atmosphere above her, spreading in a meticulous grid-like pattern.
The resounding detonations drowned out the relentless hum of the drones, painting the canvas of the sky with a symphony of chaos and destruction.
It didn't take long for Tia to piece together the harrowing truth of what had just transpired. "Did the orbital defense just blow up?" The realization struck her with the force of a sledgehammer. The Empire's goal had become chillingly clear—all the preceding destruction had been nothing but a smokescreen, a diversion designed to facilitate their true goal.
"So, this is why they sought to infiltrate those servers," she mused, realizing that while the company itself lacked direct access to critical infrastructure, its software had permeated countless devices used by various officials.
'At least one of them gained access to the protected network,' she concluded, her mind racing through the possibilities. With an entry point secured and the keys to the kingdom, it was only a matter of time before the Federation's defenses crumbled.
'But why the sudden attack? Why not just disable it silently?' Her eyes widened as she unearthed the final, sinister puzzle piece. 'Someone would have noticed and stopped it. But with all the high-ranking officials obliterated and all the chaos, they had it easy.'
The azure canopy of the sky morphed and shifted, purple lights casting an eerie glow as space itself seemed to tear and warp. Light bent and refracted in unnatural ways.
Shadows fell down, the black hulls of the ships emerging from the portals, obscuring the sun.
The imperial ornaments and symbols decorated the sleek, dark hulls of the ships, with dozens of purple lights glowing on their hulls.
The purple rays descended like lightning strikes, sweeping through the city.
'So this ho...'
A bright light flashed beside her, making her avert and close her eyes. The sheer power behind it made her collapse back to the roof, the tiredness catching up to her.
Ding!
//
Objective cleared!
Addition to the final pool: 2 x WP; 1 X +2 to Random Stat
Instant Rewards: +1 to MAG; +1 to ENE; 1 X +1 to Random Stat
//
"Did we win?" Tia's voice emerged as a faint whisper, filled with trepidation and uncertainty. The weariness that had already enveloped her body intensified, rendering her utterly immobile, unable to even lift a finger.
She wanted to check on her cousin, hoping and praying she was still well and alive, but she couldn't, the strain of the battles catching up to her.
'She must be al...'
She paled as a haunting aura, both familiar and deeply unsettling, pressed down upon her, casting a pall of dread over her senses.
'Is she here?' She could already guess its owner.
A melodious voice rang in her ears, sending shivers down her spine. "Very good, pretty eyes," it purred with an unsettlingly gentle undertone, "you have passed as my personal knight."
Her eyes snapped open. The red-eyed girl was leaning above her, watching as she squirmed on the burned concrete. Even through the entire invasion, Tia couldn't notice even a single stain on her outfit or even a strand of her long hair being misplaced.
"You appear to be injured," the red-eyed girl remarked calmly, her eyes never leaving Tia. "Let me take care of you." She gracefully squatted beside Tia, and her slender arms slipped beneath the still-shocked woman. In the blink of an eye, Tia found herself lifted from the ground, cradled in the seemingly fragile arms of her terrifying boss.
"N..." she wanted to retort, but she couldn't open her mouth.
Her vision blurred, and a profound weakness overtook her body and soul. Only one constant remained amidst the haze—those piercing, ruby-red eyes.
Ding! The familiar chime of the system resounded in Tia's head, but she couldn't muster the strength to even contemplate its significance. Her consciousness began to dissipate like a wisp of smoke in the wind, fading into obscurity.
(AN: At last, the end of this volume is here.)
